Review by Lars Lindahl (larsattacks@mail.com)
"The Patriot" (2000)
Directed by Roland Emmerich Written by Robert Rodat
Starring Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Jason Isaacs, Joely Richardson, Tcheky Karyo, Chris Cooper and Tom Wilkinson
Grade: A-
As a revolutionary war hero in The Patriot, Mel Gibson provides another macho man performance for Hollywood audiences. You know the type: his shirt is always shredded, his face always scarred, he has a soft spot for his loved ones and a "to kill" list for his enemies. Oscar-hungry director/executive producer Roland Emmerich did not intend to, but he made the stereotypical action hero for the 18th century. As Gibson delivers lines like, "Before this war is over, I am going to kill you," Schwarzenegger in Commando or Stallone in Cobra immediately come to mind. Oddly enough, The Patriot is as much an epic three-hour-tear-fest like Gladiator, as it is a ninety-minute guilty pleasure. At times absorbing, at others enjoyably insipid, this is good, bloody Summer fun.
I probably would have despised this film had it not been released over the July 4th weekend. Some of the images are so zealously Americanized (the flag is used as a lifesaving weapon for example), that Independence Day seems the only appropriate time of year to wholeheartedly accept it. Like Emmerich's ID4, this is obvious propaganda where the Americans are the hapless underdogs motivated by freedom for all. Sure it's predictable and melodramatic, but for a moment after leaving the theater, I was dumbfounded with patriotism. And isn't that the point of The Patriot?
Gibson plays Benjamin Martin, the lionized French and Indian War veteran, who, at the beginning of the film, is emotionally suffering after his loving wife passed away. He is left to father seven children at his South Carolina estate along with black servants (not slaves!). As the Revolutionary War rumbles miles away, Martin swears to keep his family close and away from the battlefields. But when the oldest son enlists anyway and another is murdered by a wicked Redcoat colonel (Jason Isaacs), Martin quickly decides to save the day (or save the fate of America as presented by Emmerich). Forming a band of aggressive farmers and using guerilla tactics considered unfair in the art of war, Martin becomes the number one target of the British Army.
The best parts of The Patriot are the scenes in which Martin and his rugged militia men outsmart the British armies left and right. Every time the farmers attacked the unsuspecting enemy, to see the disbelief on British General Cornwallis' (Tom Wilkinson) face was priceless entertainment. And as the tension gradually formulates with the running time, a final battle is inevitable.
As for the numerous battle scenes, they are expertly done. Clearer and more realistic than those of Gladiator, the gruesome images are what give this film an R rating. You really get a sense of how warfare was performed during that time period. Everything is performed in an orderly (but still quite gory) fashion - one side shoots, then the other side, then the remaining soldiers charge. It's organized, strategic and, according to Martin, ineffective. There is a very interesting contrast between the traditional battle style and Martin's take-no-prisoners method.
What drives Martin to these supposedly unfair actions, are the originally brutal tactics of Colonel Tavington. Played wonderfully by Jason Isaacs, Tavington is the type who loves to glare down from his horse at civilians, who nervously avoid eye contact. This character is viciously evil; he kills women and children and then laughs about it on the way home; even his eyes are evil. His portrayal has sparked some controversy in Britain, some claim that he falsely represents his countrymen as "cowardly" and "sadistic." I disagree with this accusation. Tavington does not represent his country; his unnecessary executions shock his own colleagues and even anger his General. Besides Tavington, the Redcoats remain stick figures that are neither glorified nor patronized. And stick figures make the easiest enemies in these kinds of movies - why give the audience a reason to love the bad guys? Heck, why not spend the entire film glossing up the good guys?
The Patriot is three hours of fictional fireworks. With an action hero seeking revenge and a comic book villain ready to take him down, it's a Lethal Weapon for the colonial times. God Bless America! And God Bless The Patriot!
Grade: A-
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larsattacks@mail.com (c) 2000 Lars Lindahl
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